Configuring Self-Approval Prevention (Include Submitter)

Enhance internal controls by preventing users from approving documents they submitted themselves. This guide explains how to configure the "Include Submitter" (include_submitter) setting within Zudello's Automation Sentences.

Best practices

• Set include_submitter to FALSE in most standard approval workflows to enforce separation of duties.
• Only set include_submitter to TRUE in specific, controlled scenarios where self-approval is explicitly allowed by company policy (e.g., very low-value transactions, specific user roles).
• Clearly document any approval steps where self-approval is permitted.

Understanding Self-Approval Prevention

The "Include Submitter" (include_submitter) setting is configured at the Approval Step level within a Sentence action. It determines whether the user who submitted the document (the submitted_by user) is considered a valid approver for that specific step, even if they are part of the assigned User or User Group.

• include_submitter = TRUE (Default): The submitter can approve the document if they are assigned as an approver for this step (either directly or via group membership). Their Approve or Reject response will count towards the step's pass/fail criteria.
• include_submitter = FALSE: The submitter cannot approve or reject the document for this step, even if they are assigned as an approver.
  • If the submitter is the only assigned approver for the step, the approval step may get stuck or fail depending on workflow configuration (careful design is needed).
  • If the submitter is part of a group, other members of the group can still approve/reject. The submitter's potential response is effectively ignored for the pass/fail criteria calculation for this step.
  • When viewing the approval flow, the submitter might see their status as SUBMITTER for that step, indicating they cannot action it.

This setting is crucial for enforcing policies that require an independent review and approval of submitted documents.

Configuring in Sentences

The "Include Submitter" setting is configured within each "Get Approval" action in your Sentence.

1. Navigate to Automations: Go to Settings > Automations.
2. Create or Edit Sentence: Start a new Sentence or edit an existing one containing "Get Approval" actions.
3. Locate "Get Approval" Action: Find the specific "Get Approval" action representing the step where you want to configure self-approval prevention.
4. Configure Setting:
   • Find the Include Submitter toggle (or similar setting, representing include_submitter).
   • Leave OFF (or turn off) the toggle to prevent self-approval for this step.
   • Turn ON the toggle to allow self-approval for this step (default).
   • 
     • Note: The exact UI element might vary slightly.
5. Repeat: Configure this setting for any other relevant approval steps in your Sentence.
6. Save Sentence.

User Experience

• If include_submitter is FALSE and the submitter is assigned as an approver, they will receive a notification (if configured) but will find the Approve and Reject buttons disabled for that step when viewing the document. Their status in the approval flow display might show as SUBMITTER.
• If include_submitter is TRUE, the submitter can approve or reject the document normally if they are assigned as an approver.

Need help?

Contact your organisation administrator or Zudello support for assistance with configuring self-approval prevention in your approval workflows.